"All men desire to know." Such were the praenotaminal words of Aristotle in his famous opuscule Metaphysica. This only emphasizes man's existential inclination towards the possession of truth. But as all revolutions begin and take shape in the mind, all truths are first conceived in the inner wells of a person. Hence, more than anything else, innate in the heart of every man, irrespective of his racial, sociological or religious background, is his natural desire to know his identity. "Cognosce te ipsum - know thyself," was Thales' constrant refrain. Socrates would later on make this his philosophical battlecry and Alexander Pope, in a more recent time, would paraphrase this into his now celebrated words: "Know then thyself, presume not God to scan, the proper study of mankind is man."
Thus, it has also become a need. It epitomizes the self as the very structure of both its origin and destiny. And as a Tagalog saying goes: Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.
My selfish conviction in this old yet tested principle moved me to trace our ancestors and some salient features about them. Interviews and studies were conducted to crystalize existing but hitherto unknown affinities and relationships into printed texts. After all, I try to reason out and justify, the Hebrews have their staffs on which to record their immediate ascendants, the American Indians have their totem poles, and the early Japanese people have their stone gardens to remind them of their ancestors. Is it not right and proper then that we make a record and honor our own? For my part, I declare that indeed, it is quite interesting to have reached this far.
This blog attempts to come up with a family history. It will therefore be a record of facts and truths. As far as it can possibly be done, I will try to faithfully identify every member of the clan, including what modern society and civil law brand as spurious or illegitimate children. I will try to include them, not at all with any feeling of contempt or derision, but on the contrary, with the sincere assertion that modern society and civil law notwithstanding, BLOOD IS ALWAYS THICKER THAN WATER.
In fine, let me declare, with all the persons involved (and the people who have so far helped me are indeed so many), that this work is being done in the ever-burning Gacias spirit which is running in my veins. To the whole clan, I dare say:
Keep aloft that same spirit.
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